(PHILADELPHIA, PA, 10/20/16) – Scores of Muslim community leaders from around Pennsylvania will be coming to Harrisburg on Tuesday, October 25, for the Second Annual “Muslim Capitol Day.” Participants in Muslim Capitol Day will have a private meeting with Governor Tom Wolf and visit their elected representatives in the morning, then hold a press conference and “Rally Against Islamophobia” followed by an Islamic prayer service in the afternoon.
WHAT: Press Conference / Rally Against Islamophobia
WHEN: Tuesday, October 25, 1:15 pm – 2:00 pm
WHERE: Rotunda Steps, Capitol Building, Harrisburg
Speakers will include:
- State Representative Jason Dawkins (D-Phila.)
- Sharif Street (Candidate for State Senate, 3rd Senatorial District)
- The Rev. Sandy Strauss (Director of Advocacy & Ecumenical Outreach for the Pennsylvania Council of Churches)
- Rabbi Daniel T. Grossman (Temple Beth Shalom)
The goals of Muslim Capitol Day are:
- Informing Pennsylvania legislators about the concerns of their Muslim constituents;
- Condemning the anti-Muslim and Islamophobic bigotry that has erupted during this presidential campaign.
Jacob Bender, Executive Director of the Philadelphia Chapter of CAIR (Council of American-Islamic Relations), the organizer and sponsor of Muslim Capitol Day, said, “The current campaign for the American Presidency has spawned an unprecedented attack on an entire American community and the faith of 1.6 billion people around the world. Muslim Capitol Day is a declaration by Muslim Americans and their supporters that Muslims are, and will forever be, full patriotic participants in our country’s democratic political process and will not be intimidated into silence.”
CAIR is the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
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CONTACT: CAIR-Philadelphia Executive Director Jacob Bender, 267-515-6710, jbender@cair.com
